The present invention relates to a securing and locking apparatus associated with the control handle for a valve.
Valves, and especially ball valves, typically have stops for controlling the handle between fully opened and fully closed positions while still allowing intermediate positions if desired. In most applications, a valve is left in one of a fully opened or a fully closed position. In most installations, it is undesirable to inadvertently change the selected fully open or fully closed position. Prevention of inadvertent movement of a valve can be accomplished in a number of ways, including, for example, valve locks, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,427,135, 5,785,074, and D 358,455, in which locking rings or tabs are positioned to engage a valve handle and include apertures which permit locks to be inserted between the locking member and the handle to also prevent tampering with a valve when in a selected position. Although these locking mechanisms allow the valves to be secured from tampering, it would be desirable to have an apparatus that provides both padlocked security but also an intermediate secured position which does not require a padlock but still prevents inadvertent movement of the valve, such as by inadvertent contact with the valve control handle.